Ashes 2023: England vs Australia fixtures, start times and TV channel for Test series

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has warned that England preparing flat pitches could “backfire” during the Ashes.

Ponting, who won the Ashes five times and is one of the greatest players in Australia’s Test history, warned that England could struggle to bowl Australia out cheaply if they prepared good batting tracks during the Ashes. “We want fast, flat wickets,” Stokes declared earlier this summer.

But Ponting said that England’s seamers could leak runs on such tracks, with James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson less quick than Australia’s quicks.

“Broad and Anderson and Robinson are gonna want something,” Ponting said. “If they don’t have those wickets for their bowling attack, let’s see how they go against the Aussie batters.”

“I think if they have the flatter wickets with the smaller boundaries it might just backfire on the bowling group. So let’s wait and see that’s the biggest thing for me.”

In the second innings of the Lord’s Test last week, Ireland scored 362 runs, increasing concerns about England’s bowling on flat tracks.

Ponting said that he did not expect England’s approach under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum - which he said had been devised with Australia in mind - to change and was convinced that England would stick would with their style during the Ashes.

“Ben and the coach - it seems like they are working pretty well together doesn’t it? It’s been refreshing to be honest.”

“I think they’ll definitely try it. I think the Australian attack will have to be ready for it, I’ve got a few thoughts on what I’d be doing if if I was an Australian fast bowler or if I was talking to the Australian fast bowler about how they should be looking to bowl to the England batsman.”

“I think they made it pretty clear. I think the reason that they’ve played this way for the last couple of years is with this series in mind. I think they’re trying to find a brand of cricket that they can play that’s going to win an Ashes series.”

“I think we’ve got a pretty good idea of what both teams are gonna look like, we know the way that England are gonna play.”

“I don’t think Australia will deviate from the way they’ve played over the last few years because it’s put them in great stead all around the world. It’s going to be the conditions that I can’t wait to see.”

Ashes fixtures and full schedule

As usual there will be two Tests in London, at Lord’s and the Oval, and the series will start at Edgbaston, the England players’ favourite ground despite the so-called home ‘fortress’ being breached by Australian victory in 2019. Following the template of four years ago, the other two Tests are scheduled for white rose and red, at Headingley and Old Trafford. Trent Bridge misses out again.

• First Test, Edgbaston, Birmingham June 16-20

• Second Test, Lord’s, London June 28-July 2

• Third Test, Headingley, Leeds July 6-10

• Fourth Test, Old Trafford, Manchester July 19-23

• Fifth Test, The Oval, London, July 27-31

What time does each Test match start?

All five Tests are designated ‘day’ matches, commencing at 11am BST, and each day’s play is scheduled to last until 6pm, although time can be made up to 6.30pm, if no breaks in play, to facilitate 90 overs. Lunch will be at 1pm and last for 40 minutes and tea at 3.40pm for 20 minutes.

What is England’s record in the Ashes at each ground?

• Edgbaston P15 W6 L4 D5

• Lord’s P37 W7 L15 D15

• Headingley P25 W8 L9 D8

• Old Trafford P30 W7 L8 D15

• The Oval P38 W17 L7 D14

What TV channel is the Ashes on? How can I follow it in the UK?

Sky has the rights for domestic Tests and will broadcast all five matches exclusively live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event.

The BBC has a highlights package and will show Today at the Test on BBC2 at 7pm after each day’s play.

The Corporation also has the radio rights for domestic Tests and will feature ball-by-ball coverage (unless you are listening on longwave during the shipping forecast) on Radio 5 Live Sports Extra and via the BBC Sounds app.

TMS coverage will be led as usual by Jonathan Agnew, alongside what it calls “an iconic commentary team” comprising Isa Guha, Simon Mann, Alison Mitchell, Daniel Norcross and Jim Maxwell, with summarisers Michael Vaughan, Sir Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Ebony Rainford Brent, Vic Marks, Moeen Ali (unless he is playing!) and Alex Hartley. Andy Zaltzman returns as scorer.

Who is in the Ashes squads?

Australia named their squad for the World Test Championship (against India at the Oval, June 7-11) and the first two Ashes Tests on April 19. England have done the same.

Australia squad for first two Tests
Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vice-captain), Mitchell Starc, David Warner.

England squad for first two Ashes Tests: 
Ben Stokes (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

England’s injury list

England’s preparations have been rocked by the news that Jack Leach, who would have been a certain starter for the first Test at Edgbaston, has been ruled out of the series with a stress fracture in his back.

The 31-year-old spinner had been an ever-present under the leadership of Ben Stokes and was labelled by former captain Michael Vaughan as England’s key player.

Leach took four wickets in the Test win over Ireland but experienced pain in his back on Saturday. As a precaution, he was sent for a scan on Sunday, which revealed the injury.  He is expected to be ruled out for much of the rest of the year.

Moeen Ali has agreed to come out of first-class retirement to fill the hole left in the England’s squad by Leach’s injury.

James Anderson and Ollie Robinson sat out the Test against Ireland as they were put on ice for the Ashes.

Anderson (groin) and Robinson (ankle) are both being handled with extreme care. They trained with the squad at Lord’s on Monday before the Ireland Test but did not bowl.

With Jofra Archer and Olly Stone already out for the summer, the importance of Mark Wood’s pace has grown, and risks will not be taken with him either.

“For the first Ashes Test, I think they should be fit,” McCullum said of Anderson and Robinson.

The current fit and available fast-bowling department consists of Matthew Potts, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Josh Tongue, who was a surprise selection for the Ireland Test. Brydon Carse is also out until the third Test at the earliest while Jamie Overton is out for the whole summer.

What is the recent history of the Ashes?

Seventeen months on from their latest winless tour of Australia (it is now 12 years since they last won a Test Down Under), England will begin their quest to regain the Ashes for the first time since 2017.

Ben Stokes’s side have an awful lot going for them, winning 10 of their first 12 Tests under his captaincy, and also enjoy a superior record in the past five home series against their most venerable opponent, four of which were won and the last, in 2019, drawn.

After losing the first Ashes of the 21st century 4-1 on Steve Waugh’s last tour here, England won back the Ashes in memorable style in 2005, regained them in 2009, both times by margins of 2-1, retained them 3-0 in 2013, won them back by 3-2 in 2015 and rallied to square the series 2-2 four years ago even though they were unable to prevent the holders preserving their possession of the urn.

In the 1980s and 1990s England’s home Ashes series were elongated to encompass six Tests but since the conclusion of Australia’s 1997 tour they have been wisely reduced to five and that remains the format this time around.

There is one significant and controversial difference, however because of the 50-over World Cup in October, which England will begin as defending champions, and the desire of the England and Wales Cricket Board to give its Hundred competition an August showcase, the marquee Test series will take part before high summer and only the final Test will be held after the state schools break up for the long holiday.

What is our prediction?

There have been merely two draws in 13 Tests in England following the Covid summer of 2020 and none in the past 10, writes Rob Bagchi. In 2015 every Test yielded a positive result and it would be fair to hazard that with good weather, England’s aggressive tactics, Australia’s brilliant attack, a more durable batch of Dukes balls and a home Ashes swansong for Messrs Broad and Anderson (84 and 44 Ashes wickets in England respectively, though Anderson managed only four overs in 2019), that all five Tests will end with a victor. England’s excellent home record of late and their refreshing approach persuades this observer to plump for a repeat of 2015 in terms of series result but with closer matches: England 3-2 Australia.

What Australia are saying

Steve Smith, Australia’s vice-captain, has said winning the Ashes in England is something he wants “to tick off my bucket list”.

Australia have not won in England since 2001, losing four straight series between 2005 and 2015, before drawing in 2019.

“Every game you play for your country is important, certainly the Ashes series here, it’s one that’s eluded us,” Smith said. “We got close last time but couldn’t quite get over the line.

“It’s something that I’d certainly like to tick off my bucket list, winning an Ashes series here.”

On Jack Leach’s injury, Smith added: “It’s a real shame, he’s done really well for England in the last 18 months in particular and it’s going to be some big shoes for them to fill.

“I feel for him, you always want to be involved in the big Ashes series so hopefully he recovers well.”

Meanwhile, David Warner, is hoping to improve his record in England in his final Ashes series.

The 103-Test veteran, who will retire in January, faces a fierce examination from India in this week’s World Test Championship final at the Oval, before going up against his old sparring partner Stuart Broad, who dismissed him seven times in the 2019 Ashes with the Australian averaging just 9.5.

“I’ve always played every game as if it’s my last,” Warner said. “It’s my style of cricket. I just keep working as hard as I can to get to there. It starts this Test against India and I’m just looking forward to that challenge and then the challenge that presents itself against England.”